JBLM Job Fair Showcases State Employment Opportunities

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Staff Nolan’s military exit date is a few weeks away, and she’s getting ready for the transition at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As part of a group of about 30 job seekers, she went to a working with fair Jan. 30 that showcased Washington State profession chances at JBLM’s Hawk Career Center.

“I just attempt to make the most of all the resources and services that the (Transition Assistance Program) Center has to provide, simply to make sure I’m as prepared as possible,” she stated.

The focus of the job fair on state work, rather than employment in different industries, made it different than others on the setup. Sponsored by the Veterans Employee Resource Group, WorkSource and the TAP, it began with a panel of veterans from state agencies, who shared their experiences and answered concerns. Following the panel, recruiters from state companies were offered to answer employing questions, stated Frank Handoe, deputy transition services manager for the TAP.

Informational tables represented companies consisting of VERG, WorkSource and referall.us Washington State’s Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Apprenticeship Program; Department of Children, Youth and Families; Department of Social and Health Services, Community Services Division; and Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A quarterly occasion, the task fair is “a low-stress, low-pressure opportunity to discover what kind of chances exist here outside your back door,” said Christopher Gentz, shift services supervisor for the Directorate of Human Resources.

Additional task fairs like the Jan. 30 occasion will be held May 8, July 10 and Sept. 11.

To get ready for them, “gown for success,” bring your resume and practice your elevator pitch, Gentz said.

An elevator pitch is a “quick intro of yourself, who you are and what you’re seeking to do,” Handoe stated, discussing that the ability is taught as part of the TAP.

Among the job fair’s goals was to help people find out about profession chances and how their abilities line up with them, Gentz said.

Education is a key advantage of going to a task fair, as about 40% of those who begin with the TAP learn they’re “not ready to make that jump yet,” or they have actually seen the available opportunities and decide to continue serving, Gentz stated.

“We see that basically every year,” he said. “We want them to make an educated decision about their career.”

Part of the education piece is finding out about financial resources, consisting of credit reports, spending plans and “developing a savings so you have something to work with when it’s time to go out,” Handoe stated.

“Everybody’s going to get out of the Army one day,” he stated, “however while you remain in, are you doing whatever you can to prepare to get out?”

Job fairs also exist to assist individuals with networking, seeing what people in the outdoors world are looking for – including accreditations, accreditations and education – and discovering their hiring practices, Handoe said.

“You should be doing prep work now for what it is you want to do in the future down the roadway,” he said.

That prep work consists of preparing for job fairs.

“You need to go into an employing reasonable with a strategy of what you’re going to do and not just meander around,” Handoe said.

He explained that attendees need to pinpoint the business they wish to speak with and research them ahead of time, to allow for informed discussions with recruiters.

Nolan took pleasure in the Jan. 30 job reasonable and consulted with some recruiters. A senior infotech expert with the 16th Combat Aviation Unit, she has actually discovered she wishes to serve those who serve in her approaching civilian function.